"This will require is a lot of additional preclinical research and development and this treatment will not enter the clinic anytime soon," he said. He compared it to the use of steroid injections for women at risk of premature delivery, another development that was first discovered using sheep models.

"It has improved the survival of premature babies worldwide, and made a huge impact on obstetric and neonatal practice," he said, but added that it "took well over 20 years to get into clinical practice".

The researchers say in their paper that clinical applications "will require further scientific and safety validation, and evolution and refinement of the device itself".